Why Design Thinking Matters in an AI World

Why Design Thinking?

In a future shaped by AI, Design Thinking isn't just nice to have, it's essential. We'll be facing brand-new, incredibly tough problems—'wicked' problems, as they're called—because we won't have old solutions to rely on. These problems will touch every part of our lives: work, communities, and homes. We're already seeing the effects of rapid change, and the disruptions will only be more frequent in our already complex world.

Thankfully, there's a way to tackle these challenges. Design Thinking focuses on using 'people skills'—things like understanding others, teamwork, and creativity—to solve problems for people. These 'Critical Core Skills,' or 'soft skills,' are exactly what AI isn't good at yet. While AI can help us with research and figuring things out, it can't do it alone. Everyone needs to work together to navigate the challenges of an AI-driven world. Companies will need all hands on deck and batten down the hatches.

Critical Core Skills (CCS)

Which Design Thinking Model to Choose?

Now, at its core, Design Thinking is about turning ideas into innovation. You might have heard of the six stages of design thinking: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test, and Implement. Some would argue that "Implement" is not a stage and that may be true depending on which design thinking model you are referring to. Nevertheless, it's a great framework for simpler, 'tame' problems, like designing a new product or app. Think of things like UX/UI, engineering, or computer problems—the problem is usually pretty clear, with lots of data and a straightforward path to a solution. Models like the Lean Startup, Agile, Double Diamond, and Google Design Sprint are well suited for these tame problems.

Six Stages of Design Thinking

But 'wicked' problems are different. They're messy, complicated, and always changing, especially because they involve people, who are unpredictable. So, we need a different approach. Instead of a straight line, we need a flexible, ongoing process of exploring, learning, testing, and adapting. We still use those six stages, but with more structure and we use them in a way that allows us to continuously learn from observations, feedback, and data.

Tame vs Wicked

This means the outcome isn't necessarily a finished product, but a portfolio of learning models that keeps adapting and improving with time. We're talking about complex problems with social, political, and cultural aspects—think climate change, poverty, healthcare, education. And, yes, even in business, we see these wicked problems, like product launches, sales strategies, and implementing new systems. It's about tackling the unknown, being creative, and adapting as we go. Two notable models are taught in business schools as part of their MBA programs. There's a very active community around the Stanford courses, and another with a long and successful history comes out of University of Virginias' Darden School of Business. Which method should you use? Pick the right one for your problem so you don't waste time. Know what resources are available to you. Most importantly, get an executive sponsor – you'll need executive buy-in. Design thinking changes how things work, and that means changes to the way people do things and that's always hard.

Your Next Steps

I've did some research and decided to take two different online courses that were self-paced. The first was the Google Design Sprint and the second was a four-course specialisation from the Darden School of Business. Both are available on the Coursera learning platform. I completed the Google Design Sprint course before ChatGPT 3 came out and now you can just imagine how generative AI has changed the landscape. The Darden School of Business course had much more depth and emphasized the transformative nature of the design thinking process. Their methology and practical and structured so that anyone can learn to become a creative problem solver. It's super affordable if you are a dedicated and fast learner.

Tame or wicked, an AI-driven world present a mix of both these problem types. What will human-machine interfaces (HMI) look like in an age of AGI and AI agents. What is the future of work? How will governments and institutions adapt? What kinds of conflicts will arise from this technological disruption? Who will benefit and who will lose out? We must be prepared and equipped to tackle a complicated and uncertain future.

Notes:

There's a online design thinking course from Harvard Business School which is made up of 7 modules over 7 weeks requiring a committment of 6-8 hours per week at a cost of USD$1,850. You can see what's available from Stanford using this link.